Minneapolis,
Minn. - The Nebraska swimming and diving team completed the final preliminary session
of the Big Ten Championships on Saturday morning at the University of Minnesota
Aquatic Center. The Huskers competed in the preliminary rounds of the 200-yard backstroke,
100-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke, and 200-yard butterfly.

In the morning's first event, the 200-yard
backstroke preliminaries, all four competing Huskers posted career-best times.
Senior Ellan Dufour led the way, finishing 21st and earning an NCAA B Cut.
Dufour also qualified for this evening's C Final.

200-Yard Backstroke Preliminary Results

21st - Ellan Dufour, 1:58.17 (career best)

38th - Katie Davis, 2:01.79 (career best)

44th - Rebekah Land, 2:02.38 (career best)

52nd - Megan Ziemann, 2:04.55 (career best)

The session's second event saw Ariel Weech earn
second place in the 100-yard freestyle prelims. Weech earned an NCAA B Cut and
a spot in tonight's A Final. The senior's career-best time of 49.17 seconds
also moved her into second on the all-time Nebraska list in the event.

Taryn Collura (49.45) and Hayley Martin (49.79)
also set career-best times in the event, finishing 12th and 15th,
respectively. Both Collura and Martin earned NCAA B Cuts and spots in Saturday
evening's B Final.

100-yard Freestyle Preliminary Results

2nd - Ariel Weech, 49.17 (career best)

12th - Taryn Collura, 49.45 (career best)

15th - Hayley Martin, 49.79 (career best)

45th - Bria Deveaux, 51.06 (career best)

60th - Kelly Dunn, 52.05

74th - Sara Weinberg, 53.54 (career best)

In the 200-yard breaststroke preliminaries, Kelsey
Larson, Ashley Reiter, and Kristin Strecker finished 26th, 27th, and 29th,
respectively. Larson set a new career-best time of 2:17.96 in the event.

200-yard Breaststroke Preliminary Results

26th - Kelsey Larson, 2:17.96 (career best)

27th - Ashley Reiter, 2:18.03

29th - Kristin Strecker, 2:18.56

39th - Samantha Hardewig, 2:21.54 (career best)

Natalie Morris took 16th in the 200-yard butterfly
prelims with a career-best time of 2:00.74, earning a spot in the B Final.
Freshman Melisa Mexia placed 20th, posting her own career-best time of 2:01.85.
Mexia will compete in Saturday evening's C Final.

200-yard Butterfly Preliminary Results

16th - Natalie Morris, 2:00.74 (career best)

20th - Melisa Mexia, 2:01.85 (career best)

33rd - Shannon Guy, 2:04.82

The Big Ten Championship's final session, including
the finals of Saturday morning's events, the 1,650-yard freestyle, the platform
dive, and the 400-yard freestyle relay, will take place on Saturday evening
beginning at 6:30 p.m. Check back in to Huskers.com and follow @HuskerSwim on
Twitter for updates.